B.B. King is universally regarded as one of the most influential and talented blues guitarists of all time. At 78 years old, his health continues to deteriorate, but Saturday night at Shea's Performing Arts Center, King showed why he has been the most popular bluesman in America for the past 40-plus years.
King sat center stage for nearly two hours with his guitar, which he lovingly calls Lucille, he spent half the time telling stories and jokes, and the other half t blowing the crowd away with his flawless blues solos.
King's eight-man backing band came onstage to play two full songs before the man himself came on. During these two songs, each member of the band, which included a four-piece horn section, performed brilliant solos that pumped the crowd to a fever pitch.
Once King came onstage, the applause at the almost sold-out theater was overwhelming. Lucille in hand and a wide smile across his face, King took a seat front and center and joined the band briefly before ending the jam with a classic blues lick.
Though mobility proved challenging and King kept his seat, he managed to keep his sense of humor about his old age.
"I'm a diabetic now. I got bad knees. All the things that used to be a lot of fun don't work no more," said King. "But don't rush the old man. Whatever he's trying to do, let him do it."
The "old man" has certainly earned the right to take as much time as he needs.
King started his career in 1949, when he recorded numerous tracks for Bullet Records, based in Memphis, TN. His popularity steadily increased over the next two decades, before breaking out with "The Thrill is Gone" in 1969.
While a good portion of King's set at Shea's consisted of passionate blues, too much of the set was focused on numerous band introductions (some band members were introduced three times) and long digressions, during which King mused about anything from the cold Buffalo weather to the biblical story of Adam and Eve.
King spent nearly the first 45 minutes of his set talking about being born in Mississippi, performing mini-skits about the crowd not singing along and telling jokes about his friend Sam. While King was joked around, the band kept up a solid groove, and for long stretches, King was the only person onstage who was not playing. While some of King's jokes and tales were entertaining, it took time away from what the audience came to see: blues guitar from the man who does it best.
Fortunately, after those first 45 minutes, King proceeded to play a medley of classic blues numbers that revitalized the crowd and gave King the opportunity to show why he is the best blues guitarist in America.
After a few more band introductions, King started the medley with "Giving Up Living" and continued with extended versions of "Rock Me Baby," "Summertime" and King's most popular mainstream hit, "The Thrill Is Gone."
King's guitar solos during these songs made it easy to hear how he has influenced an entire generation of blues/rock guitarists, including the likes of Eric Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughn.
A close listen to King's solos also reveals the pure joy he gets from simply sitting on stage and playing. During his solos, King never sounded bogged down and he never sounded sloppy. And though he did not move much in his chair, King's facial expressions and fluid arm movements showed a man absolutely in love with the art of making music.
For the last 10 minutes of his set, King told the crowd to welcome a friend of his, a Native American man whom King called "The Chief," who came onstage in full tribal regalia, headdress and all, so that he and King could wish the crowd - and each other - a happy new year.
King only played with his band consistently for 45 minutes of a nearly two-hour set, but he proved himself as the premier blues guitarist in the country. Although he spent most of his time talking, the brief stretches when King actually played blues solos were undeniably powerful.
Just before The Chief came onstage to end the set, King told the audience numerous times that he would like to return to Buffalo and the crowd responded with a boisterous cheer. After 55 years, King continues to win new fans and retain old ones.
